Five Alzheimer's Terms You Need to Know

What exactly is Alzheimer's disease? Alzheimer's causes a type of dementia that can easily be confused with other forms of dementia. When someone fears that their memory loss is a sign of the disease or someone receives a diagnosis of the disease, there is an incredible amount of information that they need to know and understand regarding causes, symptoms, tools for prevention, treatment options, and planning for the future. Defining a few of the well-known terms associated with the disease can help jump start the extensive learning process.

First, where did the term Alzheimer's originate? In 1906, the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer was the first to identify the plaques between neurons and the tangles within neurons that are characteristic of the disease's effects on the brain. Ironically, Alzheimer's colleague Emil Kraepelin was really the first to label the symptoms of the disease, which include loss of the ability to remember, think, reason, and function. Alzheimer's causes a complicated conglomeration of emotional and physical effects as well. Depression, aggression and agitation are just a few of the psychiatric and behavioral problems associated with the disease. A loss of strength, mobility and, eventually, the ability to hold one's head up and smile are a few of the symptoms of physical deterioration associated with the disease.

Second, what is cholinesterase? The only FDA-approved drugs used to prevent Alzheimer's are known as cholinesterase inhibitors. Cholinesterase is an enzyme that eats away at healthy acetylcholine in the brain. By "inhibiting," or stopping, cholinesterase from doing its job, the drugs can boost levels of acetylcholine. Researchers have found that Alzheimer's causes low levels of the protective neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which speeds the process of neuronal degeneration, characteristic of the disease. The drugs are particularly effective during the earliest stages of the disease and less effective once brain damage has caused significant memory impairment, which is usually what has happened by the time of diagnosis; therefore, physicians are considering giving the drugs to patients when they first begin to feel their memory is failing them.

Third, what is the genetic susceptibility for Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's causes a process of neuronal degeneration that does have a genetic link in some cases, particularly in familial Alzheimer's, which usually strikes between the ages of 30 and 65. Researchers are learning, however, that non-familial Alzheimer's may involve a genetic predisposition as well, particularly on the Apolipoprotein E gene. Presence of the ApoE gene does not mean a person will develop the disease because of the constant interplay between genes and environment. Wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle and buckling your seatbelt when riding in automobile are doubly important, though, because head trauma can lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease in people with the ApoE gene.

Learning the broad definition of Alzheimer's disease, cholinesterase, and genetic susceptibility provide three small slices of a much larger pie of information that is crucial to understanding, diagnosing, and treating the disease. Knowledge is crucial for your physical, mental and emotional health, so plan for future wellness by doing your research today.


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